Osteospermum plant named ‘Duetisunset’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Osteospermum  plant named ‘Duetisunset’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; and daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets that are initially yellow and with development, become soft orange in color.

Botanical designation: Osteospermum ecklonis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Duetisunset’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duetisunset’.

The new Osteospermum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the program is to create and develop new Osteospermum cultivars with uniformly mounded plant habit, freely flowering habit and attractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Osteospermum originated from an open-pollination by the Inventor in August, 2003 of a proprietary selection of Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number E-01-13, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Osteospermum ecklonis as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Osteospermum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany since July, 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Duetisunset has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duetisunset’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duetisunset’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray         florets that are initially yellow and with development, become         soft orange in color.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in ray floret coloration as plants of the female parent selection have yellow-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Osteospermum can be compared to plants of the Osteospermum cultivar Duetibredaor, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,112. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Osteospermum differed from plants of the cultivar Duetibredaor in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more freely branching         than plants of the cultivar Duetibredaor.     -   2. Plants of the new Osteospermum had broader leaves than plants         of the cultivar Duetibredaor.     -   3. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more freely flowering         than plants of the cultivar Duetibredaor.     -   4. Plants of the new Osteospermum and the cultivar Duetibredaor         differed in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar         Duetibredaor had darker-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Osteospermum. This photograph shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Osteospermum. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duetisunset’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Color Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the spring in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Osteospermum production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were about 16 weeks old when the photograph and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar     Duetisunset. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number E-01-13, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Osteospermum             ecklonis, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About three weeks at 20°             C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Compact, upright and mounded plant             habit. Inflorescences positioned well above the foliar             plane. Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 15 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 14 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching,             about six lateral branches per plant. Length: About 14 cm.             Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 5.1 cm. Width: About 1.9 cm. Shape: Spatulate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Dentate. Texture, upper             surface: Pubescent; leathery. Texture, lower surface:             Smooth, glabrous; leathery. Venation pattern: Pinnate.             Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 137B. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 144A. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 137A; venation, 144B. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 137B to 137C; venation, 144B. Petiole length: About             2.8 cm. Petiole diameter: About 2 mm. Petiole, texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Petiole color,             upper surface: 144B. Petiole color, lower surface: 144A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences positioned above             the foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets             developing acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences face             mostly upright to outward. Freely flowering habit; about 45             inflorescences develop over time per plant. Inflorescences             persistent. Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—In Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new             Osteospermum flower continuously from spring to autumn.             Early flowering habit, plants being flowering about six             weeks after planting. Inflorescences last about three days             on the plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About             1 cm. Shape: Ovate. Color: 137B tinted with 152A to 152B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.2 cm. Depth (height):             About 2 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.2 cm. Receptacle             diameter: About 4 mm. Receptacle height: About 3 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 3.3 cm.             Width: About 7 mm. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 19 in about two whorls. Color: When             opening, upper surface: 13A to 13B; towards the base, close             to 155D. When opening, lower surface: 166A and 163B. Fully             opened, upper surface: 22A to 22B; towards the base, close             to 22D; at the base, close to 57A. Fully opened, lower             surface: 166A and 163B.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 7 mm. Diameter, apex: About 2 mm. Diameter,             base: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 50. Color: Immature: 93C. Mature: Apex: 152B.             Mid-section: 154D. Base: 154B.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 18 to 20.             Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate.             Apex: Apiculate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; leathery. Color, upper             surface: 137B to 137C. Color, lower surface: 137C.         -   Peduncles: Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Leathery.             Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther             color: 103A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 23A.             Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil             length: About 7 mm. Stigma shape: Lanceolate. Stigma color:             79A. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: 79A. Ovary             color: 144C.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color:             199A. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Osteospermums. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about     35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Osteospermum plant named ‘Duetisunset’ as illustrated and described. 